Process of preparing dihydroxyacetone



WILHELM IlhElIlfl'Z QE BIL'EEBRI('iH-OIN IFIBIE-IRIHINE, v GERMANY, ASSIGNGR TO I. G. FARBEN INDUSTRIE AKTIENGESELLSGHAFT, 0F .ZFB ANKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY, A

GOREQRATION 0F GER PROCESS PREPARING DIHYDRQXYAGETONE No Drawingc Application filed. April 20, 1927, Serial No. 185,360, and in Germany April 26, 19260 substratum required for the cultivation of the bacteria must be prepared from relative.- ly expensive roducts as for instance from yeast or beet-c ips, a further disadvantage being that when working ,up the dihydroxyacetone some difficulties arise from the nutrient li uid frothing very strongly, and that durin t e conversion of the glycerine detrimenta .-by-products, as for instance dimethylketol, are formed instead of the dihydroxyacetone. Apart from the-foregoing considerations the result of the said methods of biologically producing dihydroxyacetone is unsatisfactory from a technical point of view, as the yield amounts on an average to only 33 per cent. of the glycerine'used. For all these reasons the hitherto known biological processes do not enter into consideration for industriall producing dihydroxyacetoneon 'alarge see c.

I have now found that one is less restricted in the selection of the several kinds of bacteria when using instead of the hitherto employed nutrient solutions a solution which contains-a decoction of vegetable materials as for instance straw, wood, hay, bran, ricebran, waste products left inmaking malt ,(SPent malt, brewers grains, drafi) or the like. On such nutrient media, not only the already known species of bacteria i. e. bacterium xyzlinum and acetobakter suboxydans are capa le of transforming glycerine into dihydrox acetone, but also a great number of root-baci li such as can alwa s be eas1ly and conveniently pre ared from ay and similar ,vegetable materlals which have undergone fermentation. By using such nutrient media the em loyment of which for this pur ose was hit erto unknown, the few rare kin s of bacteria need not be used, but rather all strongl acidifyin bacteria can be employed.

"Fart erznone, when using the new nutrient medium andithe said species of bacteria it is ansfo'rm the much 4 percentegeg-y'ie d than by means glycerine with aof the nutrient media hitherto in use. As a rule, about 100 per centrof the glycerine are converted into a substance having the property ofreducing Fehlings solution in the cold, This complete conversion of the glycerine on the nutrient media above described is accomplished for instance in the course of 4-5 days, whereas the yield of an equal amount of glycerlne treated according to the hitherto known methods increases only in the course of 21 days to a maximum of 33 per cent. The further chemical treatment of the dihydgoxyacetone thus prepared in a biological way is in no manner mechanically impeded by frothing substances, nor is it to be feared that there will be formed instead of the dihydroxyacetone an volatile substances hav' ing the property 0 reducing Fehlings .solution in the cold.

Instead of the above mentioned decoctions of cheap vegetables there may alsobe used simple solutions of the salts contained in the decoction, after having added thereto simple substances containing carbon and nitrogen,

such as for instance lactate of ammonia,

reduced inthe cold, indicates t e time when w the yield from the process of the transformation of non-reducing glycerine into 'dihydroxyacetone, which reduces Fehlings solution in the cold, has reached 100 per cent.

At this moment,'that is to say after about 5 days, the mash is chemically worked up in the known manner. j

(2 5-10 parts of freshly prepared or, drie drafi are boiled with parts of water,

to the decoction so obtained are added 2 5 to 10 per cent. of glycerine, and thifzwhf e is- 'materials to which the 'verted is added.

then cooled and poured into dishes having a large surface. These fluids are inoculated with the above described fermentation bacteria and incubated at about 28 C. Samples taken indicate the process-of the fermentation process and its termination.

I claim: r

1. The process of converting glycerine into dihydroxyacetone by means of bacteria, whichcomprises cultivating strongly acidi- 1 fying bacteria on such nutrient media as contain extractive-substances from vegetable glycerine to be con- 2. The process of converting glycerine into dihydroxyacetone b means of bacteria,

which comprises on tivating root bacteria prepared from hay having undergone fermentation, on such nutrient media as contain extractive-substances from vegetable materials to which the glycerine to-be converted is added.

3. The process of converting glycerine into g dihydroxy-ac'etone by means. of bacteria,

which comprises cultivating strongly acidifying bacteria on such nutrient media as'contain extractive substances from wood, to

which the glycerine to be converted is added.

4. The process of converting glycerine into dihydroxy-acetone by means of bacteria, which comprises cultivating root .bacteria prepared from hay having undergone fermentation, on such nutrient media as contain extractive substances from wood, to which the glycerine to be converted is added.

In testimony whereof, I a'flix my signature.

WILHELM LENZ. 

